


A Sisters' Bond

by scarromanoff



Category: Carmilla (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Sisters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2018-05-31
Packaged: 2019-02-22 05:57:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13160697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarromanoff/pseuds/scarromanoff
Summary: When Carmilla is first brought back to life as a vampire, she is confused and alone. Mattie is the first person she really meets and they grow close rather quickly.orCarmilla and Mattie are best friends, and sisters.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic, and the only reason it's being written down rather than just running in my head with all the other fics is because it's for a secret santa gift. So please, be kind. I wasn't positive how I wanted it to work tense-wise, so it's a bit of a mess. Thanks for reading and I promise it'll get better if I decide to continue writing it :)

When she was first brought back to life, Carmilla was terrified. She refuses to admit it anytime Laura asks her about it, but it’s true, she was terrified. When she first came back, she woke up lying on a strange bed, in a strange room, with a strange woman standing over her. A woman who claimed to have saved her from death, claimed to be her Mother. A woman who told her that her life would be very different, and that she would respond to a new name: Carmilla.  


She was confused, and alone, and had no idea why any of this was happening. She knew absolutely nothing about what was going on, had no recollection of anything that had happened before that point, and the only thing she knew about herself, her name, had just been taken from her. Carmilla. The name sounded odd on her tongue, but the more she said it, the more she thought it, the more it felt right, and the more she clung to it as though it was a life raft in this sea of confusion, claiming it as her own. It quickly became her identity, and no matter what the others called her as time passed and names changed, she still identified with it, still considered herself Carmilla.  


Mattie was the first person she really met. Her Mother told her what her name was, and that she would be expected in the main library later in the evening, but after that she left without so much as a smile. Mirc- no, Carmilla, was left alone to look around the room. It was large, lavishly decorated, obviously a part of a rich household. There were paintings, strategically placed on the walls around her and a bookcase on her right with perfectly lined up books. Movement to her right caught her eye, and there, in the middle of the wall, a door was closing and a shorter figure clad entirely in black was standing there, smiling at her.  


“Matska Belmonde,” she said with an elegant accent as she walked towards the bed. Carmilla sat up quickly, moving as far away from the woman as possible. The woman stopped next to her, still smiling. “ and you’re Mircalla Karnstein.”  


“It’s… Carmilla now,” Carm watched her apprehensively, curling further into herself than she already was. The new woman rolled her eyes slightly and spoke with mild disdain.  


“Yes, I heard that’s what Mother’s decided to call you, but you needn’t listen to her, you know. She may have brought you back from death, but she doesn’t control every aspect of your life. That’s why I’m here, to show you, and tell you, what she won’t. Take me for example: I prefer Matska, Mattie, to what she called me. Eventually, she came around to it. So, if you prefer Mircalla, you need only ask for that rather than answering to a new name that isn’t yours.” The woman, Mattie, smiled at her invitingly and Carmilla relaxed a little, smiling back slightly.  


“I don’t mind Carmilla really. I kind of like it actually. It sounds… right almost.” She relaxed a little more, smiled a bit more at Mattie. Then she threw every question she had at her. “Who is she? Mother, I mean. And why did she bring me back? Was I really dead? What killed me? Why don’t I remember my life? Will I ever remember it? And where am I anyway?”  


Mattie smiled, held out a hand to her. “All in due time, young Mircalla, all in due time.”  


Carmilla took the outstretched hand and stood, smiling fondly at the sound of her old name. She didn’t remember much of anything about her former life at the moment, but the sound of something so familiar, a connection, would continue to cheer her for centuries, but only when said with the elegant accent, by the melodic voice, of Mattie, her new sister.  


Mattie had walked to the door, having heard a timid knock, and opened it to reveal a young woman holding an elegant black dress. Mattie took it and the girl scurried away down the hall, obviously eager to get as far away from the room as possible. Upon closing the door, Mattie turned towards Carm, holding the dress up and smiling a bit more, pleased by the style.  


“Perfect,” she murmured, coming closer and pressing the dress to Carmilla, checking to see if it fit. Content with how it looked, she pushed Carm towards a folding screen near the bed, told her to put on the dress. It was a perfect fit. Carmilla stepped out from behind the screen, and Mattie clasped her hands to her chest, delighted with the look. She took Carm’s hands in her own and pulled her close, a gleeful smile on her face. “Black is definitely your color, my dear.”  


She turned immediately, not giving Carm any time to respond, and pulled her out into the hallway, closing the door behind them. Rolling her shoulders back, Mattie turned and walked down the hallway, moving so smoothly it looked almost as though she was floating. Carmilla followed, mimicking Mattie’s posture and tilting her chin up ever so slightly, having remembered her governess’s lessons on the matter.  


Mattie led her down two hallways to the top of what Carm assumed must be the grand staircase before she turned to ask if Carmilla would like to see the grounds of the schloss. Carmilla accepted, and turned to descend the stairs by Mattie’s side. They exited through the main doors into the brisk weather of an early November evening in Styria.  


As they walked, Mattie had explained what she could about the area. The grounds were owned by her Mother, and lived on by her new family. They had occupied the manor for centuries, had commissioned the place and lived on the estate even before the buildings existed. It was ancient ground, had been farmed in earlier times, but quickly grew too hard to be worked and was abandoned. Then Mother had come along with her magic and claimed it. It had been their family’s home ever since, and the likeliness of them leaving it anytime soon was rather miniscule.  


They must have walked for several hours, because it had soon grown too dark for any normal person to see and Mattie had turned them back towards the house, saying that Carmilla needed to be in the library soon. It was only when they had entered the main hall and Carmilla had felt practically blinded by the intensity of the lights that she noticed anything different about herself since waking up hours earlier. She asked Mattie about it, but the older woman had only shaken her head, saying that Mother would explain everything, and led her towards what must be the main library.  


Mattie knocked on the door, and ushered Carmilla inside when it opened slightly. She told Carm she would be back later to take her to her room and closed the door, leaving Carm alone in the cold, dimly lit room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since I posted last, but I haven't really felt much inspiration until quite recently, so all of this was written in the past few hours, if that isn't already obvious by the quality of the work. We'll get there eventually guys, I promise. I was thinking of going up until the dinner in this chapter, but then I thought, you know what? How about we not. SO, Mattie's room, and possibly more, will be next chapter. I hope this will tie you over until then. Also, please read these little notes, because as we progress, this will be more reader interactive, as in YOU, the reader, will get to choose what happens, or where we go, etc. We'll see when we get closer. Enjoy, and please keep in mind that I am still a new writer.

Carmilla turned around, taking in the space that surrounded her. It was massive, larger than any room she had ever seen, and every wall was covered with bookcases. There were books everywhere, on every surface, and she was instantly in love. She had always loved to read, and to see this many left her speechless.  


Her attention was finally diverted from the sight when her Mother cleared her throat. Carmilla turned to her and felt fear just like when she had first awoken earlier that day. She was beckoned over to a large desk where her Mother waited, seated in a large chair, and looking even more intimidating than earlier, something Carmilla hadn’t thought possible.  


“You are late,” her Mother said each word with a clipped tone, yet left the phrase hanging in the air in a way Carmilla wouldn’t learn how to do until much later in her life. She wasn’t sure if she was meant to answer, but when the woman behind the desk looked up at her with annoyance masked by indifference, Carmilla knew she ought to speak up.  


“I apologise, I was walking the grounds and must have lost track of time.” She lowered her eyes as she spoke, hoping that this was an acceptable response.  


“That will not do in the future. You will learn to keep better track of time, and you will not be late again.” Carmilla felt like she was being examined under a microscope with the entire attention of Mother upon her. With her eyes glued to the top of the wooden desk, she responded.  


“Yes, Mother.”  


“Good. I will not tolerate tardiness. There is too much work to be done for tardiness to be acceptable. You will take dinner with me in the main dining hall in one hour. There, you will meet the rest of the family. I expect you will be on time; the next time you are late, there will be consequences.” The woman looked back down at the parchment she was reading, effectively dismissing Carmilla.  


Turning, Carmilla went to leave through the door she entered through when something caught her eye. A book was lying on a side table discarded, yet set in such a way as to catch the eye of any who passed by it. Glancing behind her at the desk, Carmilla stepped up closer to the little table and picked up the small hardcover.  


It was old, and covered in dust, but as she looked it over and brushed it off, a simple black cover began to reveal itself. It had simple silver lettering on the cover, and the second she opened it, she was intoxicated by it’s scent. The Young Woman’s Guide to- It cut off after that and Carmilla felt annoyance at the dissatisfaction she felt at not knowing the full title. She’d just have to take it with her to find out. Glancing behind her again, Carmilla gripped the book to her chest and moved to the door. Reaching for the handle, she opened the door with a slight creak, and slipping through the gap, closed it behind her. She turned and jumped, surprised to see Mattie standing there, waiting for her. The older woman chuckled and grinned, revealing sharp, white teeth.  


“Come now, little sister, I didn’t frighten you, did I?” She teased the younger girl, obviously amused by her jumpiness.  


“Of course not,” Carmilla returned, annoyed by the older woman’s amusement. “You merely startled me. I wasn’t expecting you to be waiting. And seeing a dark figure in an equally dark hallway isn’t exactly the most reassuring instance, you know.”  


Mattie laughed again. “Oh, you mustn’t be so quick to anger, young one, especially not in this house. You’ll be eaten alive.” She turned and started down the hallway. Carmilla didn’t know how to take that, whether it was meant metaphorically, or literally, but she shook the thought from her head and hurried to catch up to the other woman.  


“Where are we going?” She felt as though she was out of breath, simply from trying to catch up with Mattie. For someone in a dress like hers, Carm thought, she moves awfully fast.  


Mattie slowed and looked at her, smiling slightly. Apparently this was all a game to her. “Well, I don’t know about you young one, but I don’t plan to take dinner with Maman in this little garment. She has far higher expectations, and I’m not keen on receiving any punishments. Are you?” Carmilla shook her head, her eyes widening slightly at the mentioning of a punishment. Mattie nodded. “Yes, that’s what I thought. So, we are going to my quarters, where I plan to find one of my favourite dining gowns, and since I have you in tow, I won’t need to bother with a dimwitted servant. Now come along young one, you heard Maman, we haven’t got much time, and you know how she feels about tardiness.” She set off at a brisk pace, leaving Carmilla to practically run after her. This was not what she had expected from her new life, at least of what she had lived of it so far.

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said earlier, this is my first fic, so please be kind. I'm not sure if I'll continue this, so we'll see, it's about a 50/50 chance as of right now. I hope you enjoyed reading it :)


End file.
